Social Services
Social Worker
Social workers support vulnerable people — connecting them to resources, counseling, and advocating on their behalf. Among the most meaningful and emotionally demanding careers.
Median salary
$55,000
Typical range
$40k – $85k
Job outlook
+7% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Social Worker
Education
Typical entry: Bachelor's degree
BSW to start; MSW (master's) needed for clinical roles.
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Social Worker
Entry / Junior
$40,000
~2 yrs to advance
Social Worker
Established
$55,000
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Social Worker
Senior
$70,000
Key skills
EmpathyActive listeningAdvocacyResilience
A typical day
- •Assess client needs
- •Connect people to resources
- •Provide counseling and support
Fields of study
Social Work · Psychology · Sociology
Top colleges for Social Services
Explore all- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
- Columbia University4% admit · $103,000 grad pay
- University of Wisconsin–Madison49% admit · $72,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.
Related careers
Other careers from this field of study
Mapped by field-of-study code (Social Work, Psychology, Sociology), not by job-title guessing.